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As Earnest Hemingway said, “There is no friend as loyal as a book.” Books are the cornerstone of our society and shape our ideas, world views and opinions. Books play a significant role in our life and fashion is no exception as it has a constant presence in our lives. You can never have too many books. Atop my bookshelf currently sits Atlas Shrugged, Nickle and Dimed and The Trendmakers: Behind the Scenes of the Global Fashion Industry. Fashion books are packed with knowledge, industry insight, historical information, inspiration, life lessons, advice and so much more. Here are the top five books every fashionista should have on hand for their reference library.
1.) The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled into the Spotlight and Made History chronicles the pivotal moment for the emergence of American fashion. The book written by Pulitzer Prize winning fashion critic Robin Givhan was published April 5th, 2016 by Flatiron books. This book investigates the fashion show and the unspoken understanding that is was a competition held in Paris in 1973 that presented both French and American designers. Givhan goes in depth on the designers that participated and how they reached their high standing in the fashion industry. She recounts the event in vivid and well researched detail that gives it a play by play format.
2.) Face Forward by the legendary fashion make-up artist Kevyn Aucoin, dives into his skills and artistry. The book was published October 15, 2000 by Little, Brown and Company. This New York Times Bestseller features celebrities that Aucoin transformed into historical figures and silver screen starlets. In the book he transforms Tori Amos into Mary, Queen of Scots, and Celine Dion in Maria Callas and so many others. The large images pair with how-to guides that serve as a reference to recreate the over the top looks.
3.) 7,000 Years of Jewelry by Hugh Tait chronicles the history, materials and techniques of jewelry making from Ancient Egyptian headpieces and necklaces, to Renaissance pendants and Art Nouveau buckles. The book was published on September 12, 2008 by Firefly Books. The book is extensive, it goes in depth into the jewelry worn by Pharaohs, to Kings and Queens to more present-day figures and crosses many civilizations of history from Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece, Dynastic period, Ottoman Empire and so on. Tait also talks about techniques and how materials were sourced during different periods. This is an excellently researched and comprehensive reference for not only historical facts, but a bevy of inspiration.
4.) Architecture: A World History by Daniel Borden, Jerzy Elzanowski, Joni Taylor and Stephanie Tuerk was published on May 1, 2008 by Harry N. Abrams. The book presents many images of famous buildings of the world and architects. This book features and dissects significant architectural movements. It delves into the world’s most famous architects from Frank Geary to Mies Van Der Rohe and Frank Lloyd Wright and so on with biographies that chronicle their best works. The authors really break down the development of architecture and focus on presenting the best that the architecture world has to offer from the Taj Mahal to Falling Water.
5.) The Fashion Encyclopedia: A Visual Resource for Terms, Techniques and Styles by Emily Angus, Macushla Baudis, Philippa Woodcock is every fashionista’s handbook on everything fashion related and a great reference for fashion beginners to current fashion experts. The book is divvied up into four parts, “Fashion Terminology,” “Styles and Components of Dress,” “Design, Tailoring and Stitching;” and “Textiles and Embellishments.” The book published on April 1, 2015 by Barron’s Education Series provides a total guide to fabrics, fashion movements, styles, techniques and technical terms with definitions for every possible fashion item. The pages are filled with colorful, high quality images. It’s an easy-to-follow resource with historical and contemporary references.
Currently my wish list of books abounds, topping the list is Peter Schlesinger: A Photographic Memory 1968-1989 by Hilton Als and Peter Schlesinger, published November 3, 2015 by Damiani. Schlesinger is a notable figure in the art, pop culture and fashion world. He has photographed many people from Andy Warhol, to Grace Coddington to The Rolling Stones and most recently the Gucci Pre-Fall 2018 Collection. This visual diary has coffee table book potential and features the photographic artwork of Schlesinger during his lost bohemia days that are filled with glamour, famous creatives and Instagram worthy candidness.
These topics from architecture to photography, makeup, jewelry and fashion are interrelated. These books form a well-rounded multidisciplinary approach to fashion as a whole. There are many other notable books that every fashion lover and professional needs, but these form the foundation for a bulk of inspiration and information that are thoroughly researched and well presented.
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